Rail-joint.



PATBNTBD AUG. 20, 1907.

R. A. DINSMORE. RAIL JOINT APPLIUATION FILED 11.511,29. 1907.

llllll .PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT A. DINSMORE, OF NEW ATHENS, OHIO.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1907.

Application filed March 29, 1907. Serial No. 365,363.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT A. DINsMonE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Athens, in the county of Harrison and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in rail joints, and has for its object to provide a simple and eflicient device of this character which can be readily applied to the rail ends and which will effectively lock the same against all relative displacement. 4

A further object of the invention is to accomplish this result by means of a novel construction which does not require the use of bolts or similar detachable fastening members passing through the rails.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a rail joint constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view of one of the fish plates. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the joint.

Fig. ff is a side elevation of one of the rail ends. Fig.

5 is a detail view of the base plate.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The numerals l designate the abutting rail ends, and applied to the opposite sides of the rail ends l are the sh plates 2 which are similar in construction to those commonly in use. These fish plates comprise vertical arms fitting against the web portion of the rails, and inclined arms fitting against the basal flanges of the rails, and the said vertical arms are formed with the inwardly projecting hook members 3 which are designed to extend through openings 4 in the web portion of the rails and engage the opposite side of the rail to that upon which the fish plate isvapplied. The corresponding hook members 3 upon the two fish plates 2 are slightly out of alinement with each other and are designed to lie side by side within the respective openings 4. It will be observed that the lower portions of the hook members 3 are inclined, and that the openings 4 have the lower sides thereof inclined laterally in opposite directions towardA the opposite ends thereof in order to receive the said inclined portions of the hook members. The extremities or noses of the hook members 3 engage the web portion of the rails and are received within suitable depressions or cut-away portions 5 formed in the opposite fish plate 2 adjacent the base of the hook members carried by the said fish plate.

The inclined arms of the fish plates 2 are formed with the spike receiving openings 6 corresponding to notches 7 in the basal flanges of the rails. In the preferred form of the invention the fish plates 2 extend over three adjacent ties and are provided at their end portions with openings G receiving the spikes driven into the outermost ties, and at their intermediate portion with similar openings receiving spikes driven into the middle tie. Resting upon the middle tie and fitting under the meeting ends of the rails is a base plate 8 which is Aformed with openings 9 designed to register with the notches 7 and intermediate openings 6 in the fish plates so that the spikes driven in the middle tie engage the three members. The end portions of the base plate 8 project laterally beyond the fish plates 2 and carry downwardly extending spurs I0 which are embedded in the tie and serve as an additional means of security.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. In aV rail joint, the combination of abutting' rail ends having openings formed therein, each of said openings having one side thereof" inclined laterally in opposite directions toward opposite ends thereof, and fish plates applied to opposite sides of the joint and carrying fastening members which are formed with inclined portions corresponding to the before mentioned inclined portions of the openings.

2. In a rail joint, the combination of abutting rail ends having openings formed therein, the said openings havingone side thereof inclined laterally in opposite directions toward opposite ends thereof, and fish plates applied to opposite sides of the rail ends and formed with hook members entering the said openings in the rail ends, the said hook members being formed with inclined portions corresponding to the inclined portions of the openings and the corresponding hook members upon the two fish plates being slightly out of' alincment with each other so as to lie side by side within the respective openings.

In a rail joint, the combination of abutting rail ends having openings formed therein, fish platos applied to opposite sides of the rail joints. and fastening members projecting from the fish plates. each of said fish plates 4havinga depression at the base of the respective fastening members and the corresponding fastening members upon the two fish plates being out of alinement with each other and extending through the before mentioned openings to engage the rails, the extremities of the fastening members being received by the before mentioned depressions.

4. In a rail joint, the combination of abutting rail ends having openings formed therein. fish plates applied to opposite sides of the rail joints, and hook members carried by the fish plates, each of said fish plates having a depression at the base of the respective hook members, and the corresponding`- hook members upon thc two fish plates being out of alinement with each other and extending through the before mentioned openings to engage the rails,

the noses of the hook members being received by the before mentioned depressions.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT A. DINSMORE.

Witnesses JOHN I'I, Es'rnr, ARTHUR E. ESTEP. 

